As It Should Be
by Foxx Laverinth
Summary: This was written for April Fools, 2006, and should not be taken seriously. At all. Sure was fun to write, though.


**As It Should Be – (April Fools Fic 2006)**

It was a crisp spring evening at the Burrow when Remus came knocking on the front door. Tonks held a loose grip on his arm, and both looked quite a bit more chipper than they had over the previous months.

They were met at the door by Molly, who seemed perturbed about something but cheered up the instant she saw them. "Why hello, Remus! And Tonks also. How wonderful!" She gave them each a short embrace, followed by a wink at Remus. "I knew you'd come around, you silly boy."

Remus's cheeks went pink and he didn't respond.

Tonks gave a short giggle, leaning into the man's shoulder. "

--

The door was closed gently, the room fading into complete darkness. A soft female voice asked "Are you sure we won't be bothered here? And no one's listening?"

"Not to worry. The whole room's warded. Not even the twins' magic ears could hear into here." This voice was male, low and hoarse. "How long do you have left?"

"It should wear off in just a couple minutes." The woman shed her robe onto the floor, sauntering over to where the man now sat on the edge of the bed. She leaned into his shoulder, her short hair tickling the side of his chin. "Then we'll be free to do as we please."

"I love you," he muttered, nuzzling his nose against hers.

"Back at you," she replied. Then there was a short intake of breath, and she jerked against him. "Ah… there it is…"

The man held onto her arm tightly, watching with concern as her form began to shift. The process was slow at first, but soon there was not one, but two men sitting at the end of the bed.

Sirius pulled away, snapping his back loudly. "That's much better," he groaned, and followed up with a long stretch. "Don't you agree, Remus?"

"Much better. Much more preferable," Remus nodded. He pulled the other man close to him, running fingers through long, soft, black hair. "How are you on your polyjuice supplies anyway? Good?"

A soft growl of pleasure was Sirius's first response. "Should have enough to last me to the end of the month. We'll figure something out then."

The two of them fell back on the bed, Sirius making haste to remove the over-large sweater Remus was practically buried in, hands overly eager. The other man looked momentarily concerned, but gave in to the attention.

"When do you plan on letting Harry know?" he asked, breath short.

"I don't see why we have to…"

"He has… every right to know…!"

"Oh, don't spoil the mood. You're always doing that." Sirius leaned into him, tongue finding the side of his neck and effectively silencing his complaints. "Let him finish up this business with Voldemort. When it's all over, he'll be so glad to see me that he won't have time to get mad at me for hiding myself from him."

Remus seemed to be trying to prep himself to respond, when the door to their room was suddenly thrown open.

Both of them looked over, wide-eyed and mortified, to see Ginny Weasley standing there with tears in her eyes. "Hermione, I…!" She stopped, blinking. "You two? What are you doing, keeping the door unlocked like this? What if mum found out?"

Remus glared at Sirius. "You didn't lock the door?"

"You said the place was warded!"

Ginny snorted, looking upset with the both of them. "You're just lucky it's only me. If you weren't paying me to keep this mess silent it could have been all over."

"Just get out!" Sirius snapped. "And lock the door behind you!"

With a sharp 'Hmph!' Ginny slammed it shut. Tears welled back up into her eyes again as she continued her search for Hermione.

She found her in the next room over, sitting on her bed with her nose stuck firmly into a large hardbound book that took up most of her lap. "Hermione!" Ginny cried, tears streaming down her face in small rivers. "It… it happened, Hermione! He found out!"

The book snapped shut, and Hermione glanced up at her, perturbed. "Who found out what?"

Ginny shut the door behind her, rushing over to take a seat at the end of Hermione's bed. She lowered her voice. "H-Harry…! He found out about the… the… the potion…"

Hermione looked momentarily smug. "I told you he would! It was only a matter of time. Love potion indeed…"

Sobbing, Ginny covered her face with her hands. "Hermione, what am I to do?"

"I think you've done enough." The girl stood, giving Ginny a contemptuous scowl. "You just stay away from him for a bit. Give him some time to get over his anger with you. I'll talk with him."

The Weasley girl could only continue crying as Hermione left her, making her way to Harry's bedroom, just above her own.

She knocked on the door gently. "Harry? Harry, it's me. It's Hermione."

The door was thrown open. Harry stood there, looking angrier than ever she'd seen him. She stepped back almost without meaning to. This movement seemed to make him come to his senses, and his expression softened.

"I suppose Ginny told you what happened?"

Hermione took a deep breath before replying. "Harry, she only did it because she really, truly loved-"

"Oh yeah? Well, what about what I felt, eh?" He ushered the girl inside, not wanting to continue the argument in the middle of the hall. "With everything else I had on my mind, this was the last thing I needed." He sat on the edge of his own bed, running a hand through messy hair with a sigh. "Do you think she even considered that? I spent a whole school year fantasizing about her, when really I should have been thinking about…" his voice trailed off and he found himself blushing.

Curious, Hermione pried. "Thinking about what?"

"Nevermind. It's not important. Forget I said anything."

She sat down beside him and laid an arm over his shoulders. "Harry, you know you can tell me anything."

He seemed to consider this, alternating glances between her face and his lap. Then, summoning up his courage, he leaned over and planted a kiss directly onto her lips.

She was startled, but she didn't pull away immediately like he though she might. Instead, to his surprise, she wrapped both arms around his waste.

"Harry!" she finally managed after a few moments. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Ron…" Harry muttered, leaning into her. "Ron was so determined to have you."

"Ron's a prat," Hermione scowled suddenly. "He doesn't know what he wants." With that, she kissed him. Harry was elated.

At least he was until Ron through open the door. "Harry, I found…" He stopped dead in his tracks, eyes widening in horror. "Harry!"

"Yes, Ron?" The Boy-Who-Lived gave him a look that clearly said 'What are you gonna do about it?' Ron began trembling with fury.

"That's…!" The redhead pointed between them, practically hissing. "You can't do that!"

Hermione glowered. "You can't tell him what to do or what not to do, Ron."

"But… but what about _us_, Hermione?"

"There is no US, Ronald!" She looped an arm around Harry's shoulders as if to prove her point. "I tried and I tried to work things out with you, and you know what? It's just too much. I'm not willing to bother with you anymore!"

Ron turned beet red, hands clenched at his sides. "Fine!" he shouted. "I don't need you anyway!"

"Good!"

"Right! I have my sister. And she's a _much_ better shag than you!" With that, Ron turned and stomped off down the hallway, calling Ginny's name. Harry and Hermione could only look on, speechless.

Ginny, however, had long since hidden herself where Ron wouldn't come looking. She stood at the top of the steps to the cellar, having just closed the doors behind her. "Tonks…" she called softly. "Tonks, are you still here?"

It was several seconds before a tired voice responded. "Where else would I be?"

Brown, limp hair obscuring her eyes, Tonks sat huddled atop a nearby stack of crates. She wore an expression of utter misery, but that lightened as Ginny approached her. The redheaded girl hefted herself up beside her.

"I think my brother's going to come looking for me again."

Tonks wrinkled her nose in disgust. "I don't understand how you can put up with him."

Ginny could merely shrug. "I feel sorry for him, I guess." She leaned her head back against the cold brick wall. "You know he's still in denial about, well, everything."

"You still believe he's after Harry?"

"I don't _believe_ it. I _know_ it." She shook her head. "It's as though he's trying to live vicariously through Hermione and me. Harry's never going to return his affections. Not like that."

One pale, slender arm wrapped itself around her, and she turned to meet Tonks's sad eyes. "We all have things we want and can never have." She looked away. "Sirius is here. Isn't he." It wasn't a question.

"Yes, he is."

"He doesn't know…?"

Ginny shook her head. "No. He still believes his attempt to poison you was successful, and I'm still being paid to keep the whole situation between him and Remus quiet."

Tonks looked relieved. She pulled her legs up so that her knees rested against her chest. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Ginny," she sighed.

The other girl smiled. "It's the least I can do."

Tears began rolling down Tonks's cheeks, causing streaks to form through the filth she had accumulated in her time sheltered there. Ginny leaned over to sooth her, and suddenly the auror's mouth was on her own.

Stunned, Ginny found herself unwilling to pull away, and the two of them fell into each other's embrace. At least for now, they could find comfort in each other.

Upstairs, meanwhile, Ron had given up on his search for his sister, and sat on his own bed, sulking. Life wasn't fair. Love especially was incredibly unfair.

"None of you are worth it anyway!" he yelled out to the empty room.

There was a scurrying sound to his right, and he jerked his head in that direction, searching for the origin. After a few moments, he heard the sound again.

"Come out now," he said warily. "I know you're there."

A bit of movement out of the corner of his eye, and suddenly a large rat was seated beside him on the bed. Ron jumped, looking horrified, before he relaxed. "Oh, it's just you."

"You know you'll always have Scabbers," Wormtail said, returning to his human self.

With a grateful sob, Ron threw himself into the man's arms.


End file.
